


The People Who Understand

by Phan_of_Shipping



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Comfort, Family, Irondad feels, Peter Parker Feels, Post-Endgame, Pre-Far From Home, Survivor Guilt, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 04:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18731887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phan_of_Shipping/pseuds/Phan_of_Shipping
Summary: No one knew what Peter had gone through and lost. He felt like a faceless wraith, moving about from one place to another with no real purpose. There was nothing more painful than being around hundreds of people who had no idea of the extent of his loss. They had no idea that he had fought Thanos - come face to face with that monster and still saw his face every time he closed his eyes.Peter had been changed by the trauma of war - the trauma of losing - the trauma ofwinning.He needed to find the one person who he knew would understand how he felt.





	The People Who Understand

The halls were the same. The sound of the bell was the same. The routine was the same.

Except everything had changed.

Peter traipsed the halls of his school a different person; he had been changed by the trauma of war - the trauma of losing - the trauma of _winning._

Of course, everyone felt different, everyone went through this horrifying global trauma but people had each other to share the burden, to exchange familiar words of reassurance and understanding. People knew what they had lost and what had been bravely sacrificed for it to all come back - the halls, the bells, the routine.

But no one knew what Peter had gone through and lost. He felt like a faceless wraith, moving about from one place to another with no real purpose. There was nothing more painful than being around hundreds of people who had no idea of the extent of his loss. They had no idea that he had fought Thanos - come face to face with that monster and still saw his face every time he closed his eyes. His injuries had healed but he swore the feeling he had now would never heal: to feel so alone with so many people. 

His identity had become a cage.

Everytime someone asked Peter how he was doing, how he was feeling, he couldn’t tell them the truth. He couldn’t say _‘no, not really, the man who I practically saw as my Dad died in front of me and there wasn’t a single thing I could do about and I can’t say anything about it because I’m actually Spider-Man.’_ And in some ways it was painful that his depressive feeling was not only his, but countless other people’s so his screams for help only blended into the hundreds of others that had been affected by the snap.

Of course, Ned and Aunt May tried their hardest and Peter was extremely grateful that they tried but they only really took the edge off. It wasn’t quite enough.

Peter stared blankly at the whiteboard in front of him, all these lessons felt so meaningless after everything he had gone through; why did he have to know about symbiosis when the Universe had proven that everything could be taken away with a click of fingers.

“Peter, are you with us?” His teacher asked, her voice filtering its way into his head.

Peter looks around the class at all the empty eyes - even Flash stayed quiet - and then up at his teacher, looking at him as though he had no reason for his attention to be elsewhere.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled and grabbed his rucksack, slinging it over his shoulders, and darted out of the classroom, not being able to bear everyone’s eyes.

There was only once place he could think of going.

 

It took a short cab journey, a walk and one hitchhike to get where he wanted to be, watching the skyscrapers turn into skyscraping trees.

He hadn’t put his suit back on since the last battle. His iron suit had been ripped into by the explosions and although his suit underneath was fine, it held too many memories. He couldn’t quite bring himself to be Spider-Man again.

The familiar lake came into view and Peter marveled at its calm waters, still and blissfully unaware. Peter thanked the man who gave him a lift and made his way to the front door. His hand hovered at the door for a moment or two, before he knocked a couple of times. He stood there, hoping and praying, that someone would answer otherwise he had no idea what he would do.

As he was about to turn around, the door opened and Pepper stood there - dressed casually, with a faint smile but a tired look about her eyes. Peter opened his mouth, trying to find the words to say but nothing came to his lips.

Pepper did the thing that Peter had hoped she would do.

She opened her arms.

Peter dropped his rucksack and rushed into her arms, not caring if it made him look and feel like a small child. His tears cascaded down his face with a freedom that had been suppressed for weeks. Pepper rested her head on top of Peter’s, looking up at the ceiling, trying to stop herself from sobbing with the young boy.

“I know, kiddo.” She soothed, keeping her hands wrapped around Peter’s shoulders as he let everything out. Pepper could feel the tenseness in Peter’s back and the hunch in his shoulders.

Slowly, he shifted his head out from Pepper and they just stared at each other with the strongest sense of understanding they had both ever felt.

“It’s so hard, but we’ll get through it, I promise.” Pepper offered quietly.

“But how do you know?” Asked Peter, barely above a whisper.

Pepper found she couldn’t find the words to answer; how could she know?

How was she to know if it would stop hurting? If everything she saw would always remind her of Tony? How was she to know if it would ever get better?

“Mummy, are you okay?” A small voice asked from behind Pepper.

“Oh hey, sweetheart,” Smiled Pepper, wiping away a stray tear, “Do you remember Peter?”

Peter rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeves, trying desperately to compose himself.

“Yeah, you’re the boy in Daddy’s photo.” Morgan said, looking up at Peter. 

Peter looked from Morgan to Pepper in confusion. Morgan lifted up her arms, beckoning for Pepper to pick her up. Pepper scooped Morgan up in her arms, and lifted her to the sink, where Morgan’s small hands grasped onto a photo frame. Pepper gently set her down and Peter bent down slowly.

Morgan came over and held the photo out in front of her proudly. 

Peter couldn’t help but stop the tears that spilled out his eyes as he looked at the photograph of himself and Mr Stark, both smiling with the stupid air-bunny ears. It was one of the best days of his life that only added fuel to the bonfire that he felt in his heart, after the worst day of his life.

“Daddy always looked after this photo.” Added Morgan, wiping the frame like she was mimicking an often seen action.

“Wow, really?” Peter smiled, lip wobbling.

“Yup.” Nodded Morgan. She looked back up at Peter shyly, “Are you the Spider-Man?”

Peter couldn’t help but laugh, tasting his salty tears, “Yeah… yeah I am.”

Morgan’s eyes widened in amazement, and she looked up at Pepper in excitement, “Daddy used to tell me about you in bedtime stories. Like the time you helped that lady with directions and she got you churros, and the time you took down the big winged man all by yourself because Daddy had been silly. Did you really do all of that?”

“Yeah, I did!” Peter nodded, smiling at how Morgan’s whole face lit up like it was the best thing she’d ever heard.

“You must be so brave.” Reasoned Morgan, fiddling with her sleeve.

“Not as brave as your Daddy, though.” Peter replied, emotions wobbling again.

Morgan peaked back up at her mum again, before stepping close to Peter. She reached her hand out and wiped away one of Peter’s tears. 

“Thank you.” Peter whispered.

Morgan then placed the photo into Peter’s chest, “You can have this.”

 

Peter didn’t know what to say. He looked up at Pepper, seeing if it was okay. She nodded with watering eyes and Peter looked down at the photo in his hands, wiping away one of his tears from the frame.

“Really?” Peter questioned.

Morgan just smiled.

“Thank you for this, Morgan. It’s the best gift ever.” Peter thanked, meaning every word. He gently placed the photo beside him, “Can I have a hug?”

Morgan laughed, nodding, and wrapped her arms around Peter, not realising quite how much her gesture meant to Peter.

Morgan let go after a while and Peter smiled - genuinely smiled - for the first time in weeks.

“Well I, Spider-Man, think you are the coolest person _ever.”_

“Did you hear that, Mummy?” Giggled Morgan.

“I definitely did!” Laughed Pepper, holding out her hand for a high five. Peter heard the sound of another car pulling up on the driveway, “Uncle Happy is here, Morgan!”

Morgan cheered, Peter hearing her mention something about cheeseburgers, and she ran out of the front door, looking back briefly to wave at Peter.

Peter picked up the photo frame and stood back up, “Thank you Pepper, I just needed to see someone who understood how I was feeling. You-well - you really helped.”

“You know I’ll always be here for you Peter, anytime you need. And I think Morgan would love to see you more - I think Uncle Happy might have some competition.” Replied Pepper, placing a reassuring hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” Nodded Peter, looking out into the driveway to see Morgan and Happy chatting.

“It does him good as well.” Pepper observed, “She does us all good.”

The laughter from the front of the house only emphasised what Pepper had said.

“Why don’t you stay for dinner? You can ask May along, we can get someone to pick her up” Offered Pepper.

“Yeah, that would be really nice. I’ll just text her now” Thanked Peter graciously.

 

There was still an empty space at the table - there was still an empty space in all of their lives where Tony Stark had once proudly resided. But this family, brought together by the saddest of ways, had become unbreakable. They understood pain, they understood the burden of knowledge, they understood identities and they understood _loss._

And best of all: they understood healing.

_There’ll be oceans for us to tread,_  
_There’ll be bridges for us to mend_  
_But I’ll stick through it,_  
_Oh, I swear._

_There’ll be mountains for us to climb,_  
_There’ll be days when the sun won’t shine_  
_But i’ll stick through it,_  
_Oh, I swear._

**Author's Note:**

> AAAAAAAA
> 
> I watched Endgame for a second time yesterday which produced this idea. I just can't even imagine how Peter must feel at his school knowing people have absolutely no clue what he has gone through and everything he has lost.
> 
> Whelp, Irondad is my kryptonite.
> 
> I really hope Far From Home handles what Peter must be feeling well.
> 
> The last few song lyrics comes from 'Bridges' by Aisha Badru which is the angsty Malec song from 3x20!
> 
> This is my first Avengers/Spider-Man fic so I hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
